The Lost Girl
by Senshi Sun
Summary: A girl falls out of her pram to follow her brother, and both are transported to Neverland. The girl is raised as a boy. Will she learn the truth about herself? Rating: T. On Hiatus.
1. Prologue

The Lost Girl- Peter Pan Fanfic

Prologue

I crawled along the ground slowly. My hands and knees ached from the constant motion, tracking down my brother. I felt dirty and tired; I hadn't slept since I was so scared loosing him.

I sighed. My brother had stopped moving at last. He was sitting by a tree, pushing leaves into a pile.

He turned from the pile just long enough to call, "Hurry up! You're acting like a girl."

"Need I remind you I _am_ a girl?" I snapped. His comments were really starting to get on my nerves. How could I ever stand him?

That question would have to be answered later, I thought as I crawled up beside him. I could feel his breath on my arm, and his blue eyes were closed. Then I looked more closely at him. His arms and legs were covered in little bruises and cuts, even more so than my own.

I rolled onto my back and tried to go to sleep, but thoughts of my mother kept getting in the way. Did she even know we were gone? If she did, why hadn't she come back for us yet? I stared at the many little lights shining in the sky.

Then, suddenly, the lights began to disappear and reappear. A silhouette the image of a boy, much older than my brother and I, was forming before my eyes. A leaf flew off of him and landed on my brother's arm. My brother just pushed it off.

I stared wide-eyed at the boy as he landed quietly on the ground. He picked up my sleeping brother in one arm, then turned to me.I realized that my life would be changed forever. I could have a bath! I could eat good food! I wouldn't have to follow my moron of a brother.

As the boy picked me up, I smiled. I asked where were we were going, knowing he couldn't understand my words.

The boy replied, "Fifth star to the left, then strait on 'till the moon sets". He could understand! Everything would be okay. I fell asleep in his arms as we took off into the depths of night.

**Author Notes: Please note that this series will be written with the original, unabridged copy of the book. Consult that before complaining. In the original story, James M. Barrie mentions Peter just made up the directions to Neverland. They can change.**


	2. Alterations

Out of the corner of his eye, Peter saw the bright arrows pointing to Neverland. He swerved to face them, being careful not to not drop the two children in his arms. The child in his left arm was kicking Peter. It was trying to escape, no doubt, and for the third time since takeoff! The child in his right arm was silently sleeping.

As Peter flew, he thought about the past Lost Boys. He did not know what had happened to them since they had left Neverland, though, so it is my duty to explain. They are all attending school. Most of the boys are in the middle classes, except Slightly, who has had to go into the lowest class. They are starting to lose the ability to fly too, for they are slowly loosing their belief. The new Lost Boys, Peter decided, would never be exposed to the other world.

This determination made Peter more eager to get onto the ground. He kicked at the air to propel himself forward. The island itself reached out to Peter, for even it knew that when Peter was in a foul mood, things had to be done. It also sensed the presence of the children, and made an area of soft grass for them.

Tinker Bell saw Peter darting between the clouds. She was now an old maid due to her unrequited love of the boy. Her hands were burned and frail due to handling the hot iron. If she had been human, she would have retired a long time ago, but since she was a fairy she was using her magic to repair the pots and pans. Still, she flew up to meet Peter.

"Hallo, Tink!" Peter called. The little ball of white light floated up to meet him. She poked around him, examining the two babies in his arms. She saw neither of them were Wendies. Still, she asked Peter what the babies were coming to Neverland for.

Peter smiled, "Why, Tink, these are the new Lost Boys. Won't it be fun to have all these adventures together?"

The moment Peter's feet soon touched the ground, he placed the children down and prepared to alter them. He started with the child who was always moving. Then he turned his attention to the quiet child. Peter noticed that this boy's face was oddly effeminate, but kept going until he was done.

Tinker Bell screamed. "You brought a _**GIRL**_?" she shrieked in the fairy language.

"I didn't know! I just picked her up like I did with all the other lost boys." Peter responded.

"They don't jump out of their prams, do they? Say it!"

"Girls don't jump out of their prams."

"They do if their brothers try to escape."

Peter and Tinker Bell turned to the sound of the new voice. The quiet "boy" was sitting up. She was smiling, her mossy green eyes sparkling, not even caring that she wasn't wearing clothes. She poked her brother.

Tinker Bell flew at the girl, but Peter caught her in his hands before anyone was hurt. He whispered, "Tinker Bell, I love you. I'd never try to do anything that would upset you. We can pretend she's a boy."

The rage in Tinker Bell's heart subsided to compassion. Fairies are so small that they can only have one emotion at a time.

Tinker Bell jingled, "Then the girl can stay. Give them their names."

Peter looked closely at the children, thinking. He tried to find the perfect name, the same way a parent does. After many minutes of considering various names, he found two that were exactly what he needed.

"You," Peter said, pointing to the real boy, "You can be called Slick. You," he turned to face the girl, " are Friendly."

She said kindly, "Thank you, sir. I always try to be polite."

Peter laughed. "That's your name. Friendly." It will be easy to make her into a Lost Boy, he decided.

**Author's Notes: Our journey begins! Yes, in case you haven't noticed, we've met the protagonist. Yes, Tinker Bell gets her own set of dialogue tags. I'm following the book's style now. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!**


	3. The First Night

Slick and Friendly listened closely as Peter explained the rules of being a Lost Boy. "First off," Peter declared grandly, "nobody can dress the way I do. You have to wear furs. Two, don't take an adventure unless I say you can. Accidental adventures are the only exemption. Three, Lost Boys do not know things that I do not. Four, the topic of mothers is forbidden."

Slick asked, "What are mothers?"

Peter replied, "Something you can't talk about. Come on!" He turned around and started walking away. The siblings stood up, running after him.

"Wait! You haven't told us who you are," Friendly called.

Peter turned around so quickly that Slick almost ran into him. "I'm sorry," Peter said, ginning widely, "The name is Peter. Peter Pan. That's Tinker Bell, but I call her Tink." He pointed to the white light.

The trio resumed their walking, going deeper into Neverland. Soon they were surrounded by trees. Their leaved created a wonders mixture of greens as the sun filtered through. Moss crawled up the brown trunks. All the trees were large, yet one was much bigger than the others.

Peter stopped in front of that huge tree. "Look up," he instructed the Lost Boys, "What do you see?"

They stared up into the branches. It didn't seem like there was anything unusual about it besides its size. Yet, if one was to look high up in the boughs, a little to the left of the trunk, they would see a vine ladder going up to a little house. The house was made of red branches and a moss roof, just as it had always been.

Peter flew up to the house with ease. He indicated that the Lost Boys were to climb the tree, as the ladder did not go up all the way. Slick was the first to try to get to the house. They had different ideas on the proper method to get up, but both methods were incorrect. By the time they reached the door their feet were bleeding.

Friendly gasped, "Oh! How lovely!"

The inside of the house was about as neat as you would expect a boy to have - not perfect, but livable. There were clothes and blankets on a bed of leaves. A simple table was in the middle of the house, with two chairs. A fireplace stood crackling joyfully in one corner. Every window was bordered with a pair of yellow leaf curtains.

Tinker Bell's apartment was close to the Tree House, in a hole in the tree's trunk. It had a curtain that she kept closed when changing her clothes. This was mainly out of habit, though, as it was difficult to see in. She had salvaged her Puss-in-Boots mirror and a couple of the rugs from the Underground Home. She now had a fine Poppy Grove bed (she called it a couch). Her washstand and dressing table were made by the famous designers Rod Wood and Flint Spark. A wardrobe from the best period of Charming the Sixth had replaced her chest-of-drawers. I believe that no other lady could have had such an exquisite dwelling.

Tinker Bell landed into the apartment; Slick's eyes tried to follow. Peter was searching through his clothes. Eventually, he put together four shirt and pants combinations for the Lost Boys to try.

Once the clothes were fitted, Peter got set on making supper. He'd caught a wild hog the day before. That meat was cut up and put in the pot, followed by some herbs and beans. This simple mixture was poured into wooden bowls. As there were no utensils, everybody ate directly out of their bowl.

Neverland reached out its arms, beginning to draw a raincloud curtain over the sky's fading light. The Lost Boys pushed the table off to the side, stacking the chairs on top. They put a blanket on the floor to sleep on, as there was only room for Peter in the bed. They closed their eyes just as a moon peeked into the room.

Thus ended the first night on Neverland.

**Author's Notes: Sorry about this being so late. I was really busy. **

**TROPERS! I would like your evaluation to consider this story for a fanwork page there. That would be great.**


	4. Pirates and Indians

Friendly stood on one of the highest boughs on the home tree, feet shoulder width apart. She closed her eyes, envisioning the beautiful sunsets she had seen during the past few days. She bent her knees, took a huge breath, and leapt off the tree. When she opened her eyes, she saw the branches and leaves ... coming towards her.

She swore loudly when she was caught by a lower branch. She began the tedious climb back, not even noticing or caring that even though she'd fallen at least thirty-five times since she started trying to fly, she'd never once hit the ground. There was always a branch a few feet below.

Friendly decided that her clothes were weighing her down. As she removed her clothes, Tinker Bell flew onto the roof of the house, looking for an opportunity to create mischief. The fairy flew into the "boy's" face.

"Go away, you oversized bug!" Friendly exclaimed. She swatted wildly, almost falling over. Tinker Bell just laughed and kicked Friendly's pants to the ground. Friendly grunted, but the fairy's mischief-making was far from over. Tinker Bell had learned a lot in the short time that the new Lost Boys had been in Neverland. She darted up, tickling Friendly's belly. This time, Friendly fell off the branch.

However, Friendly did not fall down. Instead, she was floating in midair, face down. She grinned widely and thanked the one she'd grown to hate. There was no need to do so; Tinker Bell had flown back to her apartment, shocked at what she'd done. In the process of tickling Friendly, some fairy dust had fallen onto the girl, enabling her to fly.

Just then, Peter walked out of the house. He looked up at Friendly, then to the spot on the ground where her pants lay, then back to Friendly.

"Friendly, what are you doing?" Peter asked.

She replied instantly, "Flying! Isn't it great? I've been working on this for hours, and now I-"

"Well, that's good and all, but can you put on your pants? You look like a fool without them."

"Yes, sir," Friendly sighed. She saw no reason to explain why they were on the ground. She let herself fall down to the ground, picking up her pants, and then redressing as she went back up for her shirt.

She entered the house to the lovely smell of steaming make-believe porridge; she ate with great gusto. It didn't matter that the bowls were empty. There was a fifth, unwritten rule of Lost-Boyhood - "Make believe and reality are no different. Do not state otherwise." The punishments ranged from strapping knuckles to more acute things like going without food for days at a time.

Thankfully, the latter punishment had only been administered once, when Slick had tried to take more than his fair share at meals.

Friendly was having such a wonderful time here, and yet, she felt like it was going to change. There was something beyond playing that she wanted, but it was impossible to say what that thing was. She just waited day in and day out to discover just what she needed.

So clearly she was the most exited when an Indian called for Peter after lunch. The Indian, a member of the Piccaninny or Wyanlape tribe, was covered in red ocher paint. He only wore a loincloth, and his long hair was plaited. "Peter, come fast. There is boat in ocean," he exclaimed.

"Like the Jolly Rodger," Friendly breathed.

Peter did not say anything. Instead, he grabbed his dagger from the shelf where the weapons were kept, and bade the Lost Boys do the same. Then the Boys ran off after their leader, who in turn ran after the Indian.

On shore, a brigade of Piccaninny braves stood at attention, their eyes fixed on the horizon. Peter flew above them, heading over the sea. He quickly returned. The grin crossing his face was truly a sight to behold.

"Boys, Indians, you will not believe what I am about to tell you. I went to see if what the Indian told me was true, and indeed it is. There is a ship coming towards or lovely island. Do not be scared, though. At this moment, they do not pose a threat to any of you. Now, begone. The Great Peter Pan has spoken."

Slick could not help but laugh at the ending of his speech. Peter had always closed his conversations with the Piccaninnies in this fashion, but it was regarded as a joke between the siblings. They agreed it was too thick and too formal for the Peter they knew.

"What?" He snapped.

"Well, um, Peter ... the Indians looked so stupid. I saw one of them toying with a feather in his hair, and ... oh God, it was just so stupid." The laughter continued.

Peter simply shrugged and started for home.

**Author's Notes: Yes, I changed the Piccaninnies from redskins to Indians. I thought Indian would work better now. Indian is the next slang word that some tribes don't like. **

**I don't normally use "Indian" because it's confusing. Are you referring to Indians from India or from North America. (My family took some Indian immigrants to a pow-wow because they wanted to see Canadian culture. They got confused because the Natives were calling themselves "Indians".**


	5. Preparations

The Lost Girl Chapter 4

"Come on, Peter, do we really have to do this?" Slick whined as he clamoured down the Home Tree. He carried many thick reddish branches on his back. His hands were covered in sap, and in his right hand he carried a rough-looking dagger, stolen from a drunken pirate.

Peter glared up at him, snarling with annoyance, "For the fifteenth time, yes!"

About twenty paces to the left, Friendly was working hard, digging a pit using a rusty shovel. The ground was pliable, but many roots and rocks made going difficult. Friendly found herself having to stop and pull some debris out of the way every few minutes. She only stopped when she had dug deep enough to put an extended arm in the pit and have her middle finger grace the dirt.

Slick dropped the branches beside the pit. At Peter's command, the Lost Boys dragged an old table over it. Slick sawed a round hole in the tabletop with his knife. Then they positioned the branches around the table and pit like walls.

Peter frowned. "I don't think the guests will like a draft. Make a door," he commanded.

Friendly quickly fixed some vines across the branches. "Is that good?" she asked.

Peter examined the walls. He pulled at the vines at the door. He kicked the tabletop. The tabletop gave slightly, but did not break.

"Yes. It's perfect," Peter replied. A nasty grin flew across his face. "Say, this reminds me of a game."

Slick and Friendly exchanged glances. "What game?" they asked, praying silently that it didn't involve using them as targets.

"The pissing game, of course!", Peter crowed. The Lost Boys sighed in relief.

The trio lined up in front of their new outhouse. One by one, they took turns trying to pee from just outside the door; Peter's aim was impeccable, Slick was only a little bit off, and

Friendly made a puddle at her feet. "He" looked down, annoyed, and stalked away.

Slick jeered, "Aww, lookit. Friendly's annoyed because his dinky's a flimsy little flap. What a girl."

Friendly spun back around. "Say that again," she growled.

"Aww, lookit. Friendly's annoyed because his- oof!" Slick was cut short as Friendly punched him in the stomach. Slick quickly retaliated, shoving Friendly into a wall. Friendly subsequently tripped him as he was going in for another punch. They shoved each other into the walls of the outhouse.

Peter watched intently, cheering on whoever was winning at the time. The outhouse walls began to break at the constant impact. When he heard the sound of the sticks breaking, Peter went inside.

"Boys! What do you think you are doing?" Peter exclaimed, "If you are going to act in this way when our guests are around, you'll be in so much trouble! You'll wish you were dead!"

Slick and Friendly froze, staring at Peter. Peter turned and stalked away.

"What's his problem?" Slick asked.

Friendly shrugged and walked out of the outhouse. "Come on," she called, "let's just go home."

While the Lost Boys calmed down, Peter walked up a thin, hilly path west of Home Tree. The light was filtered a light green colour as it passed through the trees. The path was well worn, with roots poking out at random intervals. Thick bushes lined the pathway, and fragrant flowers provided a pleasant aroma. The path lead to two places. One was a lagoon, the other was a steep cliff. This cliff was the best taking-off point in Neverland (though it was seldom used). It looked just like a runway, with one end delicately carved by the rain and wind to make a cushiony landing if one did not jump at the right time.

However, Peter was not interested in the fine flora. He walked along the path in a very focused manner, staring straight ahead. He knew it was time to go. All the preparations had been made. Everything was perfect. Peter turned left at a fork in the road, and began to walk up to the cliff. Once on it, he paused, and took a deep breath. Then, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the edge of the cliff. He took off at the last second. He flew up, higher than the birds, and turned towards England.

**Author's Note: Yes, it's been a long time. I've now gotten into the habit of writing one chapter while I'm waiting on the beta corrections for another. I also got a new beta reader: NerdiGirl! ( 3188367 ). She also has a story entitled "The Lost Girl". Feel free to compare and contrast our two stories. **


	6. Death of a Fairy

A cool breeze rippled through the trees. Dark clouds covered the setting sun. Friendly and Slick sat huddled beside each other under the warmth of a blanket.

"Where is Peter?" Slick asked impatiently.

"I don't know," Friendly sighed.

She looked carefully around the dark room. Something did not feel right. She walked over to a crack in the wall near the Home Tree's trunk, and examined a hole in the tree closely. Inside, there was a little bed with a rose petal quilt, an exquisite matching washstand and dressing table, a tiny wardrobe, and, leaning over the washstand, a fairy, Tinker Bell.

Friendly stared at Tinker Bell as she slowly pulled herself up straight and half-toddled, half flew to her bed.

"Hey, you!" Friendly taunted.

Tinker Bell only slightly raised her head at the sound, and barely had the strength to pull herself under the covers. Friendly turned towards Slick with a furrowed brow.

Slick asked, "What is your problem?"

Friendly took a deep breath. "Look at Tinker Bell," she said. "It's awful. She's all pale. She wobbles when she walks. She didn't notice me, not even when I directly insulted her!"

Slick's eyes opened wide. His face drained of colour, and he began to hyperventilate. Peter was bound to kill them if he came back to find his beloved fairy companion in this state. Something had to be done to help her regain health.

"Do you know anything about fairy medicine, Friendly?", Slick asked desperately. He rubbed his fingers over the scars on his knuckles, cutting reminders of previous incidents with Peter.

"No, I don't. Do you know anything about fairy medicine, Slick?" Friendly replied.

"No. We still have to do something, though."

"I know, I know."

"Let me put a glass thing in her mouth," Slick said firmly. Slick pulled a make-believe glass thing out of his pocket. He reached into Tinker Bell's room and made-believe to put the thing in her mouth. Friendly rocked back and forth, her eyes darting from side to side, waiting to see the results.

Slick hummed to himself for several minutes before declaring, "Tinker Bell will get better soon. Right now, she needs her rest, so do not bother her."

Friendly nodded, but did not say anything. She was pondering her relationship with the ill fairy. As long as Friendly could remember, she and Tinker Bell and been enemies, though she could not remember what began their feud. They had tormented each other whenever the opportunity had come up. Only once had their fighting come to any good-when Friendly was unsuccessfully trying to fly, Tinker Bell tickled her, causing Friendly to fly at last.

"Perhaps," Friendly whispered to herself, "that's why I feel so worried. Maybe all of our fights were based on one petty thing. Something I have and no-one else here does."

Friendly heard a raspy snoring noise. She chuckled. Slick had fallen asleep against the wall, still pretending to hold the glass thing in his hand. She crawled into Peter's bed, hoping he wouldn't come back in the middle of the night and make her sleep on the floor.

Rain began to tumble down from the thick line of dark clouds. The wind picked up its pace. It tossed many fairies around, sending them all to run for cover in their homes. Small animals began to panic, seeing the fairies in such a state. Baby Neverbirds called to their mothers, wanting shelter from the raging storm. Somewhere in our world, a child stopped believing in fairies, and Tinker Bell's white light slowly faded out like the light leaving an incandescent bulb.

The fairy mortician, Quietus Toll, arrived the next morning the very moment the rain had cleared. He quietly flew into the little room where Tinker Bell lay. He pushed back her hair somberly. He ran his hand across her cheek, sobbing in his fairy language. With great difficulty, he called for two other fairies to bring in the black coffin. They came in slowly, struggling to resist their wishes to prank the sleeping humans. With great determination, they turned their attention towards removing the teary Quietus Toll from Tinker Bell's cold body. The three fairies carefully lowered Tinker Bell into her final resting place, and took her away.

A few minutes later, the dark clouds hanging drearily over Neverland began to part, allowing the sunrise to glow in full force. The bright, cheerful beams reached out to caress the frightened animals. It tossed a jolly rainbow into the air, decorating the sky. The whole of Neverland was preparing for a grand reunion. The songbirds practiced all their best songs. The wind only moved in light breezes as it apologized for the damage it has caused last night. The sun reached its glowing arms across the land. The flowers and tree leaves looked up to the sky, and prepared to open.

Friendly shuffled around in her sleep, trying to keep the sunlight out of her eyes. No matter where she turned, the sun was there too. She moaned for five more minutes of rest. The sun refused to grant her request, and only shone brighter. A fly came and buzzed in her ear.

Friendly's eyes popped open. She chased the bug around the room, reacting on impulse from her days with the fairy. The fly continued to dart around the room. She caught the fly in her hand and turned it to her face. Her smile fell and her pride fell with it. She let the fly go.

Slick made a mumbling noise. The blanket rolled off his body as he pulled himself into a standing position. "What's bugging you?" Slick asked sleepily.

Friendly did not reply. Though her problem seemed simple enough, she felt there was a greater weight behind it, something that could change her life forever. How could she explain that to her dense brother? He wouldn't even care.

Slick looked into Tinker Bell's room. "Fairy's dead," he said bluntly.

Friendly managed to force out the word, "Yeah." She walked out of Home Tree, holding tightly onto her arms. She stared out into the rising sun as the wind ruffled through her hair. Like the moon hidden from Friendly's eyes, she had lost something both dreaded and dear. Like the sun in the distance, someone new would arise.

**Author's Note: I know, this is really sad. I knew when I started "The Lost Girl" that Tinker Bell would end up dying. I can't exactly explain why (mainly continuity and not planning to have her stay in the story any longer). Don't worry, next chapter will be a lot happier. I know you'll be looking forward to the arrival of the guests.**

**Also, I'm trying to rebuild my reader base. Please send this story to your friends**


	7. Old Friends Return

The new day filtered through the trees' leaves, painting anything near them with spots of green. Birds rehearsed their happiest songs in preparation for Peter's return. The waves danced joyfully near the shore. The winds throughout Neverland whispered, "He will come back. Two others come back," as they cleared the dust and unsightly things.

Friendly and Slick were swimming in the Mermaid's Lagoon. The mermaids had not woken up, so there was nothing to disturb the playful Lost Boys. The two children splashed each other, laughing.

Suddenly, a bell rang out.

"What was that?" Slick asked.

Friendly looked around, trying to see if there was a fairy hiding somewhere nearby. "I don't see anything," she said, slightly confused.

Slick took a gulp of air before replying, "You may want to look down." He swam to shore as fast as he could.

Friendly looked down. She screamed, and shot off after Slick. The menacing shadow in the water was swimming close behind her. It reached out, grabbing for Friendly's foot. Friendly scrambled up onto the rocky shore just in time. A tall mermaid burst out of the water, blond hair covering most of her face. She shrieked at the Lost Boys for trespassing as she tried to attack the children. They were safely out of her reach. Friendly and Slick stood up, running away from the lagoon.

Once they were in the meadow near Home Tree, the children stopped running. They were in a safe place now. Nothing could harm them here unless it wanted a death sentence. The meadow was too close to the tree, which was too close to Peter's heart. If Peter saw any island creature had harmed the Lost Boys, he would go out on the hunt, taking them down with one fatal swoop of his brightly flashing blade ... or so the Lost Boys thought. In truth, neither of them had ever come to enough harm to send Peter into such a rage.

A joyful, familiar crowing resounded through the air. "Peter!" the Lost Boys exclaimed. They looked to up, in the direction the crowing came from. Peter's green, leafy costume and blond hair was unmistakable against the blue morning sky. Peter flew high above the Lost Boys, swooping and diving, flashing his signature grin. As they stared up, it became clear he was not alone. Two others, a British boy and girl, flew in behind him.

"Who are they?" Slick whispered.

Friendly paused, thinking hard, then responded, "The guests, maybe."

Slick sighed, "Maybe." They hid in the bushes, not wanting to cause a disturbance.

The trio in the sky began to prepare for an easy landing. They flew downwards, Peter going first, the other two behind him. Peter landed with his usual graceful yet strangely rough style. The boy and girl, clearly not as used to flying as Peter, were slower to land. Once the newcomers' feet were firmly planted on the ground, Friendly and Slick crawled out from their hiding place.

The boy was about half as tall as Slick. He had a round face, and jolly blue eyes. He wore a neatly pressed white shirt, a dark blue neckerchief, matching medium grey jacket and pants, suspenders, plaid stockings, and shiny black leather shoes. He turned to the other newcomer, asking the other newcomer something the Lost Boys couldn't hear.

The Lost Boys stared at the other newcomer. Her blond, curly hair graced her shoulders. She had the same blue eyes as her brother, lined with beautiful, long eyelashes. Her pale skin was highlighted by rosy blush. Her lips formed a kind, loving smile. She wore a green skeleton leaf dress. The skirt went up to mid-calf, something that seemed to make her feel uncomfortable, though nobody else cared. Her feet were covered with leather slippers decorated with beads.

Friendly thought back to something Peter told her. He said there were beautiful creaturesMichael called "Girl". A Girl could cook and clean, and was always dear. They seemed enchanting. Friendly guessed this could be a Girl.

A horrible though crossed Friendly's mind. What if the Girl was here to replace her? With her messy, short, brown hair, tanned skin, animal skin shirt, pants with holes in the knees, and bare feet marred by rough terrain, there was no way she was as good looking as the Girl.

"I'm faster," Friendly reassured herself, "and I'm stronger, and I bet that Girl can't hunt at all."

The Girl spoke. "Hello. I'm Wendy, and this is Michael"

Slick and Friendly straightened up, embarrassed. Peter confirmed that these two were, in fact, the new Lost Boys. As he explained this, the Lost Boys stood up, ajusting their shirts and smoothing down their hair.

Wendy asked Slick, "Who are you?"

He replied, rather slowly, "I'm Slick."

She turned her head towards Friendly. Sky blue eyes met mossy green. Friendly could barely think straight. Wendy repeated, "Who are you?"

Friendly took a deep breath before replying, "I am Friendly, your beauty."

Wendy just laughed. "Yes, you certainly are, but what is your name?"

"My name is Friendly, your grace."

"Ah," Wendy smiled, "now I understand. Peter has told me a lot about you over our travels. We have had a very long flight, and we are tired. Can we please go to your house, Peter, so we can rest a while?"

Peter quickly replied, "Sure, Wendy. Let's go."

Peter, Michael, Wendy, Slick, and Friendly all started off to Home Tree. Friendly unconsciously began to emulate how Wendy was walking. Wendy's movements had a strange fluidity to them that Friendly's lacked. Wendy was something different and new. Friendly wanted to know more about her. Where had Wendy and Michael come from? Why were they here now? And why was Peter treating this wonderful angel as if it were an old friend?

**Author's Note: Wendy and Michael are back in Neverland! They'll be there for the majority of the story now. It's going to get interesting**


	8. Father, Mother, Sister, Brother

The Lost Boys, Wendy, Micheal, and Peter sat in the Tree House- Wendy and Micheal on the bed, Peter sat down on the table, and Friendly and Slick on the floor. Peter and the Lost Boys looked up at the newcomers in silent excitement as they introduced themselves.

"So, I'm sure you want to know who we are and why we are here," Wendy said. Slick nodded enthusiastically. Wendy continued, "Well, my name is Wendy Moira Angela Darling."

"My name is Micheal Nicholas Darling," Micheal added.

Friendly looked down as she felt her heart sinking even further. Wendy had four names! Micheal had three! She only had one name. Just one.

Wendy kept talking, not noticing Friendly's concforbiddennot seeming to notice Friendly's distress. "We have come from a place called London, England. My mother said we can come to visit Never Land and do spring cleaning."

Slick asked, "What's a mother?" while Friendly asked at the same time, "What's a London-England?"

"London, England is a city. Cities have thousands of people in them. They're huge," Micheal jumped in.

"Bigger than Never Land?" Friendly asked excitedly.

Micheal nodded. "Much bigger."

Wendy leaned forward to cut Micheal off. She said kindly, "A mother is a part of a family. A family is a group of people, usually very closely related to one another, that live in the same house. Families usually consist of a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, and a baby. Each of the people in the family has a specific job to do. A father works to make sure there is always something for the family to eat, and he runs the household. A mother cares for her children and her home. Brothers and sisters, who can also be referred to as 'children', must learn. After many years, they can become mothers and fathers. A baby represents the innocence in the world."

As Wendy explained who the various members of the family were and what each family member did, the Lost Boys stared in fascination. They wanted to be like Wendy and Micheal, to have a family to come home to each day, to have a special place in their world...

"Hey, Peter," Friendly said hesitantly, "Do you think we could become like that? Could we become a family?"

Peter smiled. "Sure."

"Peter's the father!" everyone else chorused.

Peter chuckled. He had suspected he would become the Lost Boy's father again. There was nobody else that would be an obvious choice; Peter was the leader, and everyone knew it.

Slick asked as sweetly as he could, "Miss Wendy, could I please be the baby? Pretty pretty please with sugar on top?"

Friendly stared at him. "What on earth is he thinking?" she thought. Wendy said she would let him be the baby.

"If Slick's the baby, I want to be the brother. Brothers are cool," Friendly said.

"I asked Wendy if I could be the brother before we came here. I should be the first choice. You're ... not quite brother material," Michel replied.

Peter walked over to Wendy. They began to whisper. Micheal got up, and sat with the Lost Boys.

"What are they talking about?" Friendly asked.

Micheal admitted that he wasn't exactly sure, but they were probably planning their life as a family.

Slick's stomach growled. Friendly realized she and Slick hadn't had anything to eat since the morning, and reasoned Peter and the newcomers would be famished. She called to Slick and Micheal, "Come on. Let's find something to tasty to eat for our first meal as a family."

The boys came with her, leaving Peter and Wendy to talk alone in the house. The trio climbed down the tree. Friendly found a bucket Micheal could fill with wild blackberries, and sent him on his way.

Slick and Friendly went the opposite way. Slick had hidden a leftover moose carcass in a cave a few days before. The Lost Boys followed a well-worn path to the cave. They pushed a rock away from the cave's entrance, and crawled in. The cave was chilly and dry, making it the perfect place to store meat. Its sides were smooth, having been carved out by seas that retreated decades ago. The moose carcass still looked fresh. Friendly and Slick worked together to skin and gut the moose. Then, they cut off the parts nobody wanted to eat, like the feet and the head. Slick carried the majority of the meat back to Home Tree. Friendly threw the parts nobody wanted into the bush, and took the skin to the Indians.

She met up with everyone else at the Home Tree. Wendy was already cooking the moose meat over a fire. Peter was scolding Slick, who had stuffed his face with berries before everyone was ready to eat.

"Where is Micheal?" Friendly asked Wendy.

"He's getting changed for dinner. The clothes he was wearing when we arrived were new," Wendy explained.

Friendly said, "They look nice. Why can't he wear them?"

Wendy stated, "Yes, but they aren't the best thing to have in Neverland. I want to keep them from getting dirty. He's going to be borrowing some of Slick's old clothes."

Soon, the meat was cooked and Micheal came down from Home Tree. Everyone sat down to eat on the grass. Peter and Wendy passed out the meat to everyone else. They talked and laughed as they ate, making the meal very long. Nobody went hungry. After they ate, everybody helped clean up and went to bed.

Wendy was the first to wake up. The moon's pale beams shone into Home Tree as she carefully reorganized Micheal's memories. She put the fresh thoughts of last night's dinner at the top. She was nervous about touching the Lost Boys' memories. She hardly knew anything about them, so she didn't know what they would like as their morning memory.

A pile of laundry caught Wendy's eye. After some thought, she picked up a sewing needle, cotton thread, and a pair of pants and walked outside.

"Those children are still dreadfully hard on the knees," Wendy whispered to herself. As she sewed, her thoughts began to drift. She thought of how little Neverland had changed. She thought of Peter, who she hoped would be dear as when she had left. She thought of the new Lost Boys, Slick and Friendly. She presumed they had come the same way as all Lost Boys did, but something still unsettled her. It was a clash of upbringing Wendy had never even imagined. Now, she would have to untangle the messy threads that being Lost Boys had made, and try to teach new ways of living.

Wendy sighed, "Teaching them will be very difficult, especially for Friendly."

"Hunh?"

Wendy turned around. Friendly was standing behind her. How much had Wendy said without noticing? Had she broken her promise to Peter so soon?

"Oh, um, Friendly," Wendy said quickly, "I didn't see you there. I- is something wrong?"

Friendly smirked. "Yes."

Wendy's mind raced. What would she do if Friendly knew the very thing that was to be kept from her?

Friendly explained indifferently, "I need to pee. I'll be back up in a minute." She paused before adding, "You don't look well, Mother. You should probably go back to bed."

Friendly climbed down the tree. Wendy watched her, breathing deep sighs of relief. It was okay. Her worry rose again when she found herself with a puzzle. How could she teach Friendly to act like a respectable lady when Friendly did not know her true gender?

There had been no end to the pretending when the last set of Lost Boys had been around. They had pretended to be pirates, pretended to be Indians, pretended to have supper when there was none. If she had pretended before, Wendy was sure Friendly could pretend now. Only this time, what they would pretend to be and they truly were is the same thing.

Wendy turned to Friendly and said, "No, Friendly, you have to stay here."

Friendly moaned, "Why?"

"Because," Wendy explained, "I need your help doing the chores. Good sisters help their mothers."

Friendly wanted to go on the hunting trip, but she also wanted to be a good sister. She sighed, trying to get out of it. Wendy wouldn't budge.

"Yes, Mother Wendy," Friendy groaned


	9. Dress Up

A soft midday breeze rustled Home Tree's leaves. Wendy was sitting on a log near the tree's base, sewing the hem of a dress. Peter, Michael, and the Lost Boys had all gone swimming about an hour ago, giving Wendy plenty of time to clean the house. Wendy quietly hummed a few bars of a lullaby as she pushed the needle up and down, timing her stitches to the beat.

Suddenly, a Neverbird's cry echoed through the trees, startling her. She dropped her sewing as she searched for the cause of the cry. The needle slid off the thread and landed in the dirt. There didn't seem to be anything wrong. Wendy sighed and turned her attention back to her sewing, and, finding the needle was gone, put the dress aside. She knelt down at the base of the log, hunting for the thin piece of metal.

She found it just as familiar laughter peeled through the path leading to Home Tree, following by the sound of footsteps. Peter and the Lost Boys ran up the path, wet hair flying back.

"You should have seen his face!" Slick cried, wiping his muddy hands on his shirt.

"Priceless! So priceless!" Friendly agreed.

"I was like 'Boo' and he was all 'Don't hurt me please'!" Slick said with exaggerated voices.

"And then he was running around asking who that scary creature was."

"And then you said..."

"That's just the baby!" Slick and Friendly cried in unison.

Peter said, "Please, you two, calm down," but his request was useless. The Lost Boys kept talking about their trick, pushing and shoving each other playfully.

Just then, Michael ran up to the others and whined, "That wasn't nice, what you did."

Wendy turned around to see everybody coming into view. Michael ran over to his sister and hugged her.

He stated, "Wendy, Slick played a nasty trick on me. He said he was going to go back to Home Tree and take a nap, but he really went to cover his face with mud and clay and that red paint stuff the redskins use. He hid in the bushes, and when we were coming back here, he jumped out and scared me and everyone laughed at me!"

Wendy put her hand on Michael's shoulder. "I'll fix it," she said calmly.

She stood up and walked over to Peter and the Lost Boys. She put her hands on her hips and looked straight at Slick with the eyes only mothers can make, the ones that let you know something very bad will happen to you. Slick made eye contact with Wendy and shuddered. His eyes darted to the ground.

Wendy asked sternly, "Slick, did you play a trick on Michael?

"It wasn't a trick, really, Mother, more like a little prank, just a joke..." Slick replied.

Friendly looked up at the sky and wandered over to Michael. She sat down next to him and watched as Wendy stared at Slick, who was still making up excuses. There was something strangely powerful about Wendy when she stood like that. It was somewhat like Peter's commanding tone, but with a wondrous twist that made it unique. It had both a stern foreboding overtone and faint touches of hope...

Eventually, Wendy's stare became too much for Slick, and he apologized quietly. Wendy nodded approvingly. She guided Slick over to the other children so she could talk to Peter. Friendly taunted Slick about getting caught while Wendy and Peter's talked.

"Is it okay with you if I start giving Friendly her special lessons?" Wendy asked, fiddling with her dress.

Peter's eyebrows furrowed. "You really don't have to do that. _He_ is fine just how he is."

Wendy looked Peter right in the eyes and said, "Friendly's going to find out sometime. When 'he' does, it's going to be incredibly awkward. There are different roles Friendly will play that nobody else can. It will be easier on everyone if 'he' is what 'he' was meant to be."

Peter sighed. "All right, you can try. Just try it for a day or two."

Peter walked over to the Michael and the Lost Boys with a cheerful glint in his eyes. Slick saw that glint and leapt up, knowing it meant adventure. Michael and Friendly soon followed.

"What are we doing now, Peter?" Slick asked.

Peter paused for a second before replying, "Well, I was just discussing that with your mother. You know how last night we decided we would be a family? Today, being a family begins. The boys can come with me to hunt."

Friendly and the boys grinned at the very idea of a hunt. They ran over to Home Tree and eagerly scrambled up it, bumping into each other and stepping on each others' fingers. Wild chattering could be heard from the ground as the three children grabbed their weapons. They ran back down the tree just as quickly as they had gone up, skipping the last few branches. Then they took deep breaths, trying to appear calm as they strode over to Peter. Each child had a unique weapon. Slick had a bow, Michael had a billy club, and Friendly had a knife. (Peter's dagger was in his belt, as usual.) The children gripped their weapons tightly.

Peter asked, "Are we ready to go, children?"

"I'm ready to go hunting, Father," Michael said. "Are you ready to go hunting, Slick?"

"I am ready to go! Are you ready to go, Friendly?"

"I am ready! Let's go right now!"

Wendy had quietly walked over behind Friendly while the boys were talking. Now, she put her hand on Friendly's shoulder.

"Actually..." Wendy said, "Friendly, if you don't mind, I'd like you to stay behind."

"But Mother Wendy, I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You aren't in trouble. There's something special I'd like you to do. Nobody else can do it, and I certainly can't manage it on my own. Can you please help me?"

"Well..."

Friendly looked around. Her eyes first met the eager ones of Slick and Michael, glimmering with the excitement of a new adventure. She looked back at Wendy's strangely comforting blue eyes. Friendly's hand went up to her collar as she looked from the boys to the lady. She tried to weigh the pros and cons of each side. Normally, the adventure would have won out easily, but those sky blue eyes pulled the metaphorical scale down so it balanced perfectly.

Friendly sighed. She looked over to Peter, hoping he could give her an answer. Peter just looked away, almost indifferently. Friendly kept her eyes on him. His eyes said something was wrong, but she couldn't think of what.

"I..." Friendly stuttered, "I'll... ah... I can go hunting when we're done, right?"

Wendy replied, "Certainly!"

Friendly took a deep breath and made her final decision.

"I am going with Mother," she announced, thrusting her knife into a nearby tree.

Wendy smiled and thanked Friendly. Peter took his dagger out of his belt and lead the two boys off into the woods. Friendly watched them go as another strange feeling began to form. Wendy picked up the dress she had been sewing. She held it up for Friendly to see.

Wendy asked, "Friendly, what do you think of this dress?"

Friendly examined it closely, and as she did so, the strange feeling vanished. The dress was similar to what Wendy was wearing. The main portion of the dress was made up of broad leaves taken from nearby trees. The shoulders were made of smaller leaves, creating an eyelet-style of fabric. The shoulder seams had little blue flowers in between the neckline was finished, while the hem was not.

"I think it would look absolutely lovely on you, Mother!"

"You think so?" Wendy giggled. "Because, this dress isn't for me. This is for you."

"Really?"

"Yes. This is why I needed you here. I wanted you to try it on."

Friendly took the dress from Wendy. She held it up against herself, looked down through the neck, then flipped it upside down and fiddled with it. Wendy took the hint and held it out for Friendly. Friendly slid it on.

"It's a little tight," Friendly mused.

Wendy replied, "Of course it is. You've still got your other clothes on underneath it. If you didn't it would fit better. But how does it feel otherwise?"

Friendly looked down at herself. She spun around and watched as the skirt swung around her legs. Her face broke out into a grin.

"It's wonderful! Thank you, Mother!"

**Author's Notes: Is it too late to say Happy New Year? I'm going to do it anyway. Happy New Year, everybody!**

**I know it's been a while since I last updated this. Nerdigirl and I were both busy over the holidays. I can say that chapter 9 of The Lost Girl is about 50% complete. I want to get it up in the next month, but that may not happen.**

**Some of you might have noticed a change in the last chapter. The last few lines of the chapter have been removed. It seems there was an accident where I forgot to mark a "fill in later" zone. My beta didn't notice, and I wanted to get the chapter up quickly. My point is, I took that part out and turned it into this chapter.**

**I hope you all like it. See you soon!**


	10. Peter vs the Pirates

Peter quietly snuck down the pathway. He peeked around trees and bushes with an animalistic skill. He would examine the ground closely, checking for any signs of creatures. Occasionally, Peter would stop to sniff the air, but this was just for show. Peter's right hand grasped the hilt of his dagger.

Michael and Slick bumbled around behind Peter. The two were usually making some noise, even though they tried so hard to be quiet. They were never quite as fluid in their movements as Peter. Michael was always a few steps behind Peter, and Slick was a few steps behind Michael. This order was only changed when Slick would try to catch up to Michael, and would inadvertently trip over something in the process. The few times he managed to catch up without tripping, he would crash into Michael, causing a great commotion. The boys would sometimes drop their weapons, and have to wander back to find them.

In this way, the boys made their way through the forest. Peter was the only one who knew where they were going, so he lead. Not even Peter knew exactly why they were going where they were. He picked up some clues on where animals were from the land, but there aren't many of these clues in Neverland. He would say, later on, that his conscience had led him through their hunt. If they came back with no game, he would say that it just wasn't plentiful.

It seemed like this would be one of the days when they wouldn't catch anything. After about fifteen minutes of walking, Peter heard a rustling sound in the bushes. The boys chased after it, but it was just a squirrel, far too small for eating. They found a path and decided to follow it.

This pathway was a long one. As the boys walked along it, the landscape began to change. The trees thinned out. Endless seas of grass and moss were interrupted by sandy edges. If one listened closely, they could hear the faint cry of seagulls. There was a louder rustling sound too.

Peter heard it first. He jumped over a log at the edge of the well-trodden path. Michael and Slick did the same as Peter ducked behind a tree. The rustling sound got louder, and with it came a musical noise. A low-pitched humming, to be exact.

Michael whispered, "I bet it's a big bird. Won't Wendy be pleased when we come back with a giant bird?"

Peter put his finger to his lips and whispered, "Get your weapons ready."

Slick grabbed one of the arrows from his quiver and fit it to the bowstring. Peter slid his dagger out from his belt. Michael gripped his club tighter and swung it behind his shoulder like a baseball bat. All three boys were poised on the balls of their feet, eager to strike. Their breathing got faster. The boys peered through the branches and leaves and over the log, hoping to see the animal first.

And there it was, a vast, multicoloured humming creature way off in the distance. It seemed to have hundreds of legs. The legs moved around with precision, pushing all kinds of plant matter away. Its bright coat flapped around as it moved. The creature's claws glinted like steel.

The boys stared at this creature, trying to make sense of it. Slick thought it might be a dragon. Michael guessed it could be a mutated caterpillar. Peter was not focusing on the creature's looks, but the humming, and so guessed it was a flock of giant hummingbirds. He leaned in as the creature got closer.

It was at this moment that the creature's humming changed into song.

"Yo ho, yo ho, swashbuckle to and fro, and if someday we meet again, it's in the waters below!"

"Pirates!" Peter hissed. "Get down!"

The boys ducked obediently. Peter swung back so he was hidden by his tree. The boys watched as the pirates got closer.

The pirates were a motley crew. There were twelve of them, not counting the two cabin boys back on the ship. These pirates were not quite as cunning or well-off as Hook's crew, and yet they still struck fear into the hearts of men. The pirate leading their procession was a short man with a long sallow nose and buggy eyes. He held a cutlass between his teeth as he scouted out the best route for the others to take. Behind him were an Italian pirate with a long beard and a pirate with only one useful eye. The pirates continued to follow quickly. There was a pirate with bulging muscles, a tattooed pirate, a pirate with black hair, a tall pirate, a pirate with a mustache, and a pirate with a wooden leg. Even the ship's cook followed, sword in hand.

At the back of the group were the two most distinguished pirates on the voyage. One of these you may recognize; Peter certainly did. His hair was white, and his spectacles were clean. His belly bulged slightly from under a blue and white stripped shirt. His face showed no signs of malice. Yes, it was Smee!

After Captain Hook's crew was defeated, Smee had travelled the land telling everyone that he was the only man Captain Hook feared. He also said there were great treasures to be found on Neverland. A man in a royal blue velvet coat, Captain William Flint, approached Smee about this treasure. Now, we all know there is no such treasure. Smee did too. Smee also knew Captain Flint would do terrible things if he was caught lying, so he was forced to continue to make stories up. Eventually, Captain Flint made Smee first mate on his voyage and set off for Neverland's shores.

Now Captain Flint was talking to Smee.

"Really Smee, are you certain this is the right path?" Flint asked.

Smee turned to the Captain and adjusted his spectacles. "Yes, sir," he replied calmly, "I am absolutly sure this is the path."

Flint muttered, "It better be."

Smee asked, "Sorry, were you speaking?"

Flint laughed awkwardly. "No, no, it was just a gadfly. The stupid things are always buzzing around."

"True," Smee said. The two continued walking in silence for a while.

Then the cook asked, "Captain Flint, do you think this road will bring us to the treasure?"

Captain Flint thought for a moment before saying, "I would hope so. Why, in a few more days it will have been a month since we've arrived, and we haven't seen even the tiniest flake of gold!"

"Gold?" Michael echoed a little too loudly. Peter shushed him.

Captain Flint stopped in his tracks. Hiss eyes grew wide and his breathing quickened.

"What was that?" Captain Flint asked.

Smee laughed and said, "The sound of your own footsteps, Captain."

Captain Flint insisted, "It sounded like a shhhhh noise!"

"I didn't hear any shhhhh noises." Smee said.

"Nor I," said the pirate with the wooden leg.

"Nor I," said the cook.

"Nor I," yelled the bug-eyed pirate from the very front.

Captain Flint looked down at his shoes as each of the pirates stated they had not heard anything out of the ordinary. The Captain ordered the procession to continue. Slick fitted an arrow to his bow. He carefully aimed his bow at the bug-eyed pirate. Peter reached out to stop Slick.

"Not yet," Peter whispered, "Wait until they see us."

"And if they don't see us?"

"All the better," Peter whispered.

"You're a real bore sometimes," Slick hissed as he put the bow down.

The boys watched as the bug-eyed pirate got closer and closer to their hiding spot. The pirate moved faster now, checking every log and tree for something that could frighten the Captain. Before the boys knew it, he was right beside them. The boys ducked down. His cold eyes scanned over the boys, but he didn't notice them. The pirate turned away to check the other side of the path.

A shriek rang out from behind the boys. Everybody looked over at the sound. Captain Flint yelled something. The pirates swung their swords up and ran to the sound- right in the way of the boys! Slick grabbed his bow and Michael lifted up his club. Peter pulled his dagger out of his belt. The boys jumped up, and Slick shot his arrow. It struck the tattooed pirate in the shoulder.

The boys were soon surrounded by pirates. Slick kept shooting his arrows, which barely hit the pirates. Peter jabbed the mustached pirate in the arm before flipping around and kicking the black-haired pirate in the face. The black haired pirated stumbled back into the pirate with the wooden leg. The wooden-legged pirate stabbed Michael in the arm. Michael dropped his club, wincing. Slick shot his final arrow between the wooden-legged pirate's eyes. The pirate screamed. Peter slashed at the tall pirate before jabbing the bug-eyed one. He dodged a blow from the pirate in the mustache. The boys kept jumping, dodging, covering, and jabbing.

Leaves rusted in the bushes and suddenly, a strange creature jumped out. It had mud smeared all over itself. It was clothed only in the ragged leaves of the surrounding bushes. It stood up slowly, its back hunched, making deep guttural sounds. A silvery blade already stained with blood flashed in the creature's hand. A look of panic crossed Captain Flint's face as the creature's eyes met his own. Captain turned his back and ran back to his rest of the pirates followed their Captain. The creature looked around at the boys, and Peter realized he'd seen this creature before.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Cliff, meet Hanger!

This chapter is a little bit different. I wanted to use this chapter to explore the boys as individuals and bring back the pirates. It's also one of the longest chapters I've written.


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